Batman Adventure Chronicles: Hunting the Huntress
by Green113
Summary: The Huntress is in town and is out for blood! After several years of waiting, she seeks to kill the man who wronged her but a certain Bat isn't keen on letting that happen. The two monsters butt heads and come to certain realizations about themselves in the process.


Batman threw Huntress over his shoulder, breaking the coffee table of the room. She hissed at him, kicking his chest and then kicked-up from the ground. She reached for a knife and threw it but Batman caught by the handle.

" **Stop this, Bertinelli! You don't have to do this."**

"Stay out of my way, Batman! I _will_ kill him! I _will_ kill Don Mario, the man who killed my family!"

* * *

 **Four days earlier**

Helena Bertinelli, 19 years old, walked the streets of her hometown, Gotham City. Helena had dark black hair and tan skin with grey eyes. She was rather attractive with a slim build, walking with a tight black skirt and black heels. She wore a white t-shirt that exposed a small bit of her stomach, a short black leather jacket and a gold necklace with a cross at the end. Her curly black hair emphasized her overall look.

For the past few years, she had been living in Italy, training as a fighter and marksman. She sought revenge on a don that has been trying to usurp the underworld power of Gotham – Don Mario Acciai. For the past two years, Gotham has observed a radical change of the status quo. A vigilante known as the Batman has been fighting organized crime and doing an unnaturally good job at it. The other major crime boss, Maroni, has been put under pressure by Dent due to testimonies given by various criminals the Batman has frightened. He was scheduled to appear in trial in a few months. The Penguin, the Russians, the Chinese mafia, the Yakuza, all of the crime families of Gotham were having trouble with this one man. Some even called him a monster. Helena didn't believe in monsters but she did believe in devils.

She entered a bar on the corner of the street. It was called Sin's Bar, a hotspot for underground information. Helena was close to the bartender, Chuck, as he had served as a lieutenant under her father. Sitting at the seat, the man known as Chuck turned around and greeted his psuedo-niece with a wide smile.

"Ah, Helena! It's been too long!"

"I'm sorry, Chuck. I've just been busy." She said vaguely.

"What do you need, my dear?"

"Information." She stated, switching to a business tone. "It's been five years, Chuck and I'm finally going to do it. I'm going after the man who did me wrong… Mario Acciai."

"Ai, Mario? He's a tough one, Helena. He and Maroni are close, extremely close. There are even rumors that they may be gay. Mario organizes and manufactures the drug product that Maroni ships to the streets. He's a big part of Maroni's operation. If you go after Mario, Sal may try to kill you. And Maroni is not to be trifled with. He's gone to war with one of the biggest crime bosses in the city – the late Carmine Falcone."

"You mean the same Carmine Falcone that was taken down by the Batman?"

"Ai, but the Batman is no human. He's immortal, a demon."

"He's no demon, Chuck. His war against Falcone has probably made Maroni nervous of people like him. That works for me." She smirked confidently. "I'll use that against him when I kill his hump buddy."

Chuck sighed. "Alright, Helena. God knows I want to see those bastards suffer too… I loved your father very much."

"I know, Chuck." She knew Chuck had lost something the day they died too. Her father was like a brother to him and he cared for him as well, took care of Chuck and his family.

"Don Mario operates in several places but the boys tell me that his lieutenant works most often with some gangs in Chinatown. You might find something there. And Helena… be careful, alright? These guys are sharks. If they smell you, they'll eat you."

"Thanks, Chuck. I will." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek before sticking her hands in her pocket and walking out of the bar.

" _Now, all that's left is to prepare… the hunt's on, Mario!"_

* * *

Night fell and a thick fog filled the city. At night, a strange thing happened in Gotham. From all corners, from all creaks and openings, an evil fog began circling the city and monsters began to creep out from beneath the bed, from in the closets. The criminals walked the streets now, keeping the citizens in their homes with their presence.

Inside her hotel room, Helena got ready. She removed her clothing, stripping everything of her daytime identity except her necklace. She reached into a bag and pulled out her nighttime clothing. Stepping into the light was the Huntress, out for vengeance. She wore a purple mask that concealed her identity, a long purple cape around her shoulders, and a black leotard that exposed her belly. She had boots that came up mid-thigh, leaving the upper part of her legs bare. Her boots and gloves that she wore up to mid-bicep were a bright purple and her leotard had a white lined theme on the sides. She wore a purple belt around her waist and around her legs. She jumped out of her window, landing on the fire escape. She snuck down silently, coming into the alleyway. Behind a dumpster was a motorcycle. She put on her helmet, revved up the engine and rode off.

Huntress parked her motorcycle several blocks away from her destination. She took out a crossbow and shot a projectile to a rooftop, a wire attached. She pressed the trigger on her crossbow again and she then ascended to the top. Once atop the building she reached behind her back and took out a pair of binoculars, using them to zoom in on her target.

" _Don Mario's lieutenant… I've got some questions for you."_

Huntress made her way to the window of the warehouse they talked in, sneaking in through the top window and softly landing on a beam above them. Her target sat around a round table with four other men. They were casually playing poker.

"Ah, shit. I lost again."

"Hah! That's like $5,000 you owe me!"

"Shut it or I'll put one through your skull."

"There'll be plenty of time for that." Mario's lieutenant said, shuffling the cards. "Marco, how late were the shipments this week?"

"Two days." Marco replied. "Don Mario wasn't happy. He cut the guy's _cazzone_ off."

"Shit… Don Mario hates to lose in the competition. The Penguin is running the show. We got to take it all back."

Huntress reached into her back and pulled out a smoke bomb. Just as she prepared to throw it did a hand reach out and grab her hand while simultaneously putting another over her mouth.

" **Wait."** The dark voice told her.

Huntress made no sudden moves, her eyes trying to peer out of her peripherals. _"Is this… him?"_

"By the way," The man continued. "Where are we having that next shipment?"

"The Eastern docks, tomorrow night at 10. Got it?"

" **Now."** He released her hand and she threw the bomb to the table, clouding the vision. The man pulled out their guns, coughing profusely. Batman jumped from the beam and landed on the table, breaking it. A man tried to shoot him but he dodged the bullet and knocked the man out with a quick punch. He threw batarangs at the other two, knocking them out. Don Mario's lieutenant tried to run but Batman shot out his grapple and tripped him to the floor. The man turned on his back to see Batman pounce, the sight causing him to shriek like a little girl. Batman grabbed his collar, pulling him close to his face. The man shivered in fear, his own reflection visible in Batman's demonic red eyes.

" **The police are going to arrest you soon. When they do, you're going to testify against Don Mario when Harvey Dent prosecutes you. If you don't, I'll haunt you for the rest of your life and make your existence very, _very_ miserable. Understood?"**

"Y-yeah..."

" **Good."** He headbutt the man, knocking him out. Batman stood to his full height, turning around to face the Huntress.

"Thanks." She angrily spat. "I just lost my lead on Don Mario now."

" **Who are you?"**

"None of your damn business, that's who."

" **My city, my business. This isn't a game. Go home."**

"This is my home! And I'm going to do what I came here for, whether you like it or not, Batman."

He glared at her strongly. **"No. You're not."**

The Huntress shot arrows from her crossbow, forcing Batman to take cover. He pulled out several batarangs and whizzed them at her at full speed, forcing her to duck down. Batman ran from his cover and up to her as she reached into her pouch and threw a smoke ball to the ground. Batman turned on his thermal vision and glanced to the window, seeing her make her escape. He grappled after her, giving chase. Huntress shot another arrow at him but he caught in his hand, snapping it like a twig. Huntress stopped and stood in a stance, ready to face him close-combat. Batman ran up to her and she threw a punch. He shifted his body and elbowed her in the gut. She tried to knee but he blocked and struck her chest with a double palm attack. She stumbled back and when she did, he swept her off her feet and pinned her to the ground with his knee. He reached down and pulled off her mask. Her angry glare seemed more emphasized without it.

" **I recognize you… You're the daughter of the late Guido Bertinelli, the mafia boss who was killed in a territory war… by Don Mario."**

"That's right! The bastard took everything from me, right before my eyes! He stormed into our house and shot my father in the chest! He raped my mother and then killed her too! I saw it all from the damn house vents!"

Batman stared down at her solemnly, a drizzle from the sky beginning to come down memory of his own tragedy flashed before his eyes and the eyes of this angry young woman mirrored his own. He stood up to his full height, looking down at her with deep thought.

" _ **She's suffered a tragedy as well… Orphaned, like me… She's lived with this pain and anger for so long that it's manifested into the person I see now. The person who puts on a disguise and terrifies criminals to find the one responsible for said pain."**_

He handed her back the mask, the woman snatching it and putting it back on. **"I'll help you."**

"What?"

" **I'll help you find your killer. I can locate him and make him pay. This help is only offered on one condition – you won't kill any criminals. Becoming what killed your family** **won't help anyone. We'll bring the murderer of your family and so many other families to justice the proper way."**

Huntress glanced down at the now wet rooftop, her black hair damp and dripping with water. She exhaled strongly, her hot breath signifying her anger. "...Fine." She agreed with some strain. She glanced up at Batman, staring right into his red eyes. "You had this happen to you, too, haven't you? This is why you dress up like a bat and fight criminals."

Batman didn't answer and instead reached behind his belt, pulling out a bat-themed burner phone. **"** **I'll contact you using this tomorrow night. You'll follow my instructions and meet me at the area I dictate. Is this understood?"**

She took the phone, tucking it away in her belt. "Yeah..." She shot out her grapple-arrow and swung away, leaving Batman on the rooftop alone.

* * *

 **Three Days Earlier**

"Are you sure this is wise, Master Bruce?" Alfred handed Bruce a cup of Tieguanyin tea. Bruce sat in the Batcave, in front his expensive supercomputer. He wore his batsuit without the cowl on, having been up all night, planning his next raid.

"Her past isn't too different from mine, Alfred. I understand why feels like she has to go after them. She needs to confront the killer and see proper justice done to him. However, this one is unstable and could try and kill him anyway. I need to treat her carefully until I can be sure she won't be of any harm."

"If I may ask, sir, are you sure this isn't a somewhat personal task on your behalf?"

"What do you mean?"

"Having suffered a similar tragedy yourself, you may be projecting your desire to see justice served to your own parents onto this, for lack of a better word, flight risk."

"Maybe I am." Bruce admitted. "However, regardless of her desires, I'm not letting her do as she pleases in Gotham City, _my_ city."

"I should think not, sir. The poor citizens of Gotham may get confused with two costumed vigilantes prowling around at night." He sipped his tea.

* * *

Helena was at the gym, wearing a sports bra and pants, and she was laying it on a punching bag. Everyone around the gym kept their distance from her as she slammed on it, punching her frustration out. She gritted her teeth and envisioned it was Batman. This spurred her on further, until she kicked it so hard that it began spilling the sand inside. Seething and nostrils flaring, Helena stalked to the locker room, scaring anyone in her path with her demonic aura. In the locker room, she slammed the door closed after getting out her belongings.

" _Damn him… Damn the Batman! Now he knows who I am, what I'm after and he's just going to get in my way! Fine, I'll play along and be a good little girl. I'll let him order me around_ _for now, use him to find my target_ _and when Don Mario is in my sights… I'll kill him!"_

* * *

The night fell again and Huntress awaited her "date".

"You know, that whole sneaking up on people like a ninja thing gets old real fast, right?"

Batman walked next to her, handing her a pair of binoculars. **"Third window, second floor."**

Huntress zoomed in on the designated location and the grip on the binoculars tightened when who it was. Trading money with Mario's men was Chuck.

"Chuck?! Why?!"

" **That man has been doing runs for Mario for several months. He's moved high enough into the ladder that he's delivered something for Mario personally, once. With just the right amount of pain, he should be able to remember the location."**

"Yeah. Let's go!" She began stalking forward when Batman grabbed her arm, stopping her. "What?!"

" **This isn't a game. I'm the one who will be leading here. You will do as I say and nothing more, nothing less. If that's not acceptable to you, I have no problem restraining you here and now."**

Huntress grit her teeth angrily, but looked away, knowing she couldn't beat him. "Fine, then. You lead the damn way."

Batman grappled to the rooftop, Huntress following suit. Batman opened the skylight window and landing on a beam above. Huntress landed next to him, taking out her crossbow. Batman reached into his belt and pulled out a recorder.

"Thanks, again, Chuck. You good at this."

"Hell yeah, I'm the best. Used to work for this cheap bastard."

"Bertinelli?"

"Yeah. Hated that guy. Always treated me like crap, never gave me respect. Glad he got killed."

Huntress, unable to take it anymore, jumped down from her beam and landed on a bodyguard, shooting an arrow into another guard's hand, knocking his gun out. Chuck and his two associates spun around, gasping. Seething with anger, Huntress ran forward to Chuck, intent on strangling him. Chuck and the other two gangsters pulled out their guns and began shooting at her but the bullets never hit because Batman shielded her with his body, his muscular frame protecting her from all the bullets.

"Get the hell out of the way!"

" **Shut up and get to cover!"**

He grabbed her and ducked behind a pillar as a large man carrying a turret came walking in. "I heard some commotion so I invited myself to the party!"

"Let's get outta here, Chuck!"

"Y-yeah..." Chuck and his associates ran for the lives as the large man kept the pressure on the two vigilantes. Batman held Huntress down, covering her with his body. He reached into his belt and pulled out a special batarang. He threw it and it curved behind the man's peripherals, hitting the man in the back of the head and knocking him out. Batman stood up and Huntress took off, running to the window. She heard a car revving up from the garage and jumped out the window, landing on the top. The car swerved and the drivers glanced up, frightened. One of them pulled out a gun and shot at the roof but it missed the target. Huntress pulled out a knife and stuck it into the roof, using it as a holding. She jumped onto the side of the car and kicked the windows in. Before the man could shoot her, she kicked the wheel, messing up his aim and sending the car headfirst into a lamppost. Huntress opened the door and dragged Chuck, the other two associates stumbling out as well. Huntress grabbed Chuck by the collar, getting into his face with an angry glare.

"How could you? How could you, you son of a bitch!"

"Helena… I..." She headbutt his face before dropping him to the ground, standing up and taking out her bow.

"I should kill you."

" **Huntress!"**

Batman threw a pair of batarangs at the associates, knocking them out and coming up behind Huntress.

"Be lucky my father liked you." She stowed her weapon away, turning her back on Chuck and leaving him for the Batman. The dark figure lifted Chuck in the air by the collar.

" **We need to have a little talk. I want your boss, Mario. Where is he hiding out?"**

"I don't know where he hangs but I know his brother knows and he stays at that old slum building with his boys by the North and Olson! That's all I know, I swear!"

Batman dropped him back to the ground, handcuffing him to the steering wheel.

" **The police will be here soon. Try to resist cutting your arm off to escape."**

Batman and Huntress grappled away but not before she gave him one last sneer. From atop the building, the two watched as the men got taken away.

"We should've killed them." Huntress darkly remarked, her arms crossed under her chest.

" **That's not how we do things."**

"Not how _you_ do things." She shot back, turning face-to-face with him. "You're a damn coward, refusing to put people down who've killed countless others. These guys don't feel any remorse, don't have a damn conscience. It's just a game to them, a race to see who gets to the top."

" **Becoming a monster to eliminate monsters only leaves monsters behind. There's no moving forward for humanity if we have to lower ourselves to defeat people like them."**

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Meanwhile, while you sit on your pedestal of righteous upstanding, three kids get shot because a convict you caught but didn't kill escaped out of jail."

Batman glared at her. **"You're not going to do as you please. Whether you agree with the way I do things or not, you're not going to kill Don Mario. I won't let it happen.** **You either follow my orders or throw away the costume and get out of my city. I lay down the rules,** _ **period**_ **."**

She glared at him but didn't say anything else, shooting a roped arrow and swinging away. Batman looked toward the moon, a cold yet comfortable feeling falling over him.

* * *

 **Two Days Earlier**

"She's too reckless." Bruce walked into his room, having just stepped out of the shower. Having taken off the make-up he used to cover his scars, he allowed the eye-scar that began at the tip of his eyebrow and end at his mid-thigh to show. He had a towel wrapped around his lower body, his perfect physique displayed on his upper body. "She might have killed him. I'm almost certain that if I wasn't there, she would have."

"Perhaps the same therapy that worked on Master Richard won't have that effect on Ms. Bertinelli." Alfred handed him a small towel, Bruce wiping his wet hair with it.

"I'm starting think about it that way too. Maybe it worked with him because he's younger… she's older than him, having had more time to develop that anger, that rage. She's like me, Alfred. In the end, she was never able to work through it."

"If I may make a suggestion, sir. Perhaps the inability to control Ms. Bertinelli comes from your own inability to restrain your anger. After all, you said it yourself – you two are alike."

Bruce stopped in front of a mirror, considering this thought. "So, she's mirroring me, huh?"

"To relate to her better, look deep into your own experiences and relate them to hers. That pain may create a mutual bond of understanding and, perhaps, camaraderie."

"She doesn't want camaraderie, Alfred. She would push away anyone who tried to get close to her."

"Then, Bruce, like a butler would his stubborn ward, persist until she does." He handed him his suit, giving him a small smile. Bruce returned it warmly.

* * *

Riding to the destination point Batman had designated for Huntress, he brought up the screen to his side.

" **By the way, Alfred..."**

 _'Sir?'_

" **How is Dick doing?"**

 _'Splendid, sir. He's just called this morning and he's enjoying his stay at Haley's Circus. Says he should be back Sunday evening.'_

" **Good. It's past time he continued his training. There's still too many things he has to learn before he's ready."**

The car stopped in an alleyway and Batman jumped out, grappling to the roof. Huntress stood, hands crossed and leaning against the rooftop door. Upon him landing, she stood up straight and openly regarded Batman with disdain. He ignored it.

"I've already scoped out the area. Three guards on the roof, seven in the room, all armed. Word has gotten out that you're after Mario's brother so he's scared, practically peeing his pants."

Batman glanced over his shoulder at her. _**"She didn't charge in by herself and instead waited for me here… Maybe this is working in some way after all."**_

" **Follow my lead."**

"Yeah, I know the drill."

They snuck onto the roof, Batman silently telling her to take the one to the right while he took the left. Huntress nodded, the two sneaking up on the guards and knocking them out in a choke-hold. Batman threw an impact batarang into the neck of the third guard, knocking him out as well. The two entered in a vent, Huntress going in first. They moved through the vent quietly stopping upon the third grate and listening.

"I can't believe what Mario got me into… We're family, damn it, and you're never supposed to endanger family. After all the times I bailed you out and this is what I get..." The man nervously tapped his foot, his eyes shifting back and forth.

Batman leaned over Huntress, holding out an anesthetic pellet in his hand. He dropped it and the smoke released a gas the put everyone to sleep. After the smoke cleared, Batman and Huntress dropped down. Batman grabbed the man by the collar slapping him awake.

"Wha… huh… oh, crap!" Batman headbutted him the nose before throwing back into the chair.

" **Roberto Acciai, we need to have a long talk about your brother."**

"You ain't… you ain't getting anything out of me!"

"Don't you just love it when they act tough?" Huntress roundhouse kicked him the face, knocking out a teeth and sending him crashing to the floor. Batman walked and stepped on his face.

" **Talk! Where is he?"**

"I-I-I don't know! He never tells me nothing!"

Batman thrust him through the window and held him in the air with his one arm.

" **We're nine stories up. If I let you go, you're sure to make a very pleasant sound when you hit the pavement. Last chance or you die – _where is Mario?!"_**

"He's-he's at the penthouse in Royker's Hotel! He stays there all the time! Please don't drop me!"

Before Batman could throw the man back inside the building, a bullet whizzed past his cheek and hit the man square in the face. Batman glanced around to see Huntress holding the gun, angrily staring at the dead corpse in Batman's hands.

"Die, you bastard. You and all that man's relatives."

Batman laid the body on the ground before glaring up at her. She tossed the gun to the ground and uncaringly swung away. Anger boiling up in his body, Batman grappled after her. He caught her in mid-air, tackling her to a rooftop a bit lower than the building they were in. Pinning her to the ground and in her face, Batman shouted, **"Why?! Why did you kill him?!"**

"That bastard would've just killed someone else's parents! Everyone associated him should die!"

" **That's not even revenge! That's just blinded murder!"**

"Don't kid yourself…" She whispered. Rain began falling down now, lightening striking from the sky. "I realized more than anything while we were in there… that no matter how disciplined and spiritual you act, deep down, you're a monster like me… you _wanted_ to kill him, too. You want to kill them all… This city… has made you its bitch, spreading monsters and darkness to the world only because… you _won't_ conquer your own..." She leaned up and kissed him on his lips, the words from her mouth stunning him. He didn't respond to the kiss but the action and words made loosen his grip on her arms, allowing her to wrap her legs around his waist, her arms around his neck and turn him over, her on top now.

On the ground, feeling the rain, Batman regained some sense of conscious awareness and put his hands on her shoulders, seemingly in an attempt to push her away but instead of doing that, they slid to her hips and pulled her closer. He returned the motion of her kiss as she parted his lips and inserted her tongue inside.

She was right about him. He was a monster. They were both monsters. Monsters with vengeful blood running through them, with unconquered darkness. He couldn't resist her. He didn't _want_ to resist her. The rain poured down harder but they didn't feel it. Consumed by the other's darkness, they took off everything – the belts, the boots, the gloves, the armor, everything except the masks, the symbols of their darkness. The moans of pleasure were drowned out by the thunder of the clouds. It was neither gentle nor loving. It was monstrous and dark.

* * *

Huntress finished putting on her boots as Batman called in his Batmobile.

"A 'Batmobile'?" Huntress repeated, strapping her belts back on her legs. "You're the goddamn Batman and you named it the Batmobile?"

Batman stood up, without a word, and jumped off the rooftop, landing in his car and driving away. The rain slowly let up but the darkness of the clouds did not.

* * *

 **Present Day**

Helena walked into the hotel with a large overcoat and sunglasses. It was the daytime, the time of day when bats rested and, therefore, would not interrupt her mission. Helena walked up the stairs, making her way to the penthouse suite. She stopped in front of the door, knocking on it.

"Who is it?" Came the gruff, thick, Italian accent on the other side.

"Room service..." She suggestively said, making her accent sound subtly Russian.

The man opened the door, a lecherous smirk on his face and she wanted to puke. She never forgot that smirk. That was the same smirk he had on his face when he raped her mother. The man had a thick mustache and was nearly bald. He had a 5 o'clock shadow and was obese, wearing a bathrobe.

"What took you so long?" He stepped aside, letting her in.

Helena stood in the middle of the room, seeing the window curtains were closed. _"Good."_

The man sat in his chair, widening his legs enough for her to see his embarrassingly sized genitals. "Come over here."

Swaying her hips, Helena walked over but when she was within an arms length of him, she threw off her coat, revealing her Huntress outfit and pulled out a crossbow, aiming it directly at his head.

"Don Mario..." Her voice came at as a growl, a raspy, dangerous voice.

"Wha-what is this? Are you… are you the one who has been hunting me?"

"I'm the one who's father you killed… who's mother you raped and murdered… I'm the one who watched it all but was unable to do anything! But now, I can do something. I can kill you. I can make you pay, see you die before my eyes as penance. Die, Don Mario!"

Just before she could pull the trigger, the weapon was knocked out of her hand. She then found herself thrown over the Batman's shoulder, breaking the coffee table of the room. She hissed at him, kicking his chest and then kicked-up from the ground. She reached for a knife and threw it but Batman caught by the handle.

" **Stop this, Bertinelli! You don't have to do this."**

"Stay out of my way, Batman! I _will_ kill him! I _will_ kill Don Mario, the man who killed my family!"

Said Don scrambled out of his chair and ran for the door but Batman threw a pair of bolas at his legs, tripping him to the ground. Huntress ran forward and threw several punches, Batman stopping them all but the last punch which had her release a gas Batman had yet to encounter from her wrist, the gas spraying right into his face. Batman stumbled back, falling to his knee. It would take him several minutes of meditation to fight through the effects of the gas, time he could not spare because, as he was fighting the effects, Huntress grabbed her crossbow and walked over to Mario, aiming the arrow at his head.

" **Don't… do it..."** Batman struggled holding himself up by placing his hand on the floor for balance. **"His death won't… bring you happiness… of any kind… you'll feel empty and hollow, bitter and angry… just like you do now… you'll have no more purpose, only purposeless hatred… to hold onto… You don't… have to be a monster… running in darkness… don't… let him… keep you that way..."** Batman coughed, the effects of the gas making nauseous.

Huntress held the bow there, shadows over her eyes. She pictured it so many times in her sleep, in the only good dreams she ever had – she dreamt of seeing him dead at her feet, bleeding out from an arrow she shot into his skull. She was so close to making it a reality and then, a thought came to her head. She remember the Batman made one of Don Mario's men talk to Dent. As of now, if Mario as arrested, he would most certainly lose everything, including his freedom. He would be thrown in jail, suffering forever at the hands of men who hated him. She smirked darkly, pulling her hand away.

"You don't deserve death. You deserve to rot in a hole for the rest of your life, knowing your whole life crumbled around you, just like me and then finally die, going into the Hell God created for you Himself. I hope you get raped a thousand times, both in this life and the next, you _brutto figlio di puttana bastardo."_ She kicked him in the jaw, knocking him out.

Not long afterwards, the police came and took Don Mario away. By this time, Batman and Huntress had already left, standing on a rooftop high above the city. It was daytime now, the sun shining high. Below, people were going about their day and business, shifty or legal.

"You surprise me." Huntress said, leaning against the ledge of the building. "That speech… did you tell yourself that when you caught your killer?"

" **I never caught the man who did me wrong. I don't even know his identity. I may never know."**

"Hmm..." Huntress jumped onto the ledge, holding her bow and shooting a grapple arrow.

" **You were right about me."** Batman said, his cape draped over himself. **"I am a monster, created by this city to do its bidding. A monster to end all monsters. But inside me is still a human. I have two choices… allow this monster to consume me until I'm an old, bitter man, alone and without anyone around me or conquer my monster and walk in the daylight… I'm still human. I'm a monster but I am still a man. I _will_ conquer this monster, one day..." **

Huntress glanced over her shoulder, smiling at him bitterly. "Somehow… I doubt that." She swung away, leaving the Dark Knight standing in the shadows of the roof, unable and unwilling to step into the day. And like a monster, he disappeared into the shadows, retreating back to his Cave, where all monsters go to rest at daylight.


End file.
